High-efficiency power charge pump supplying high DC output currents

A method for driving a charge-pump device including a first and a second pumping branch, connected in parallel, said method comprising the steps of:

• generating first and second driving signals for said first pumping branch and, respectively, said second pumping branch through a first and, respectively, a second driving circuit;
• providing a first and a second auxiliary charge pump;
• supplying said first and second driving signals to said first auxiliary charge pump and, respectively, to said second auxiliary charge pump to obtain first and, respectively, second voltage-boosted signals;
• and
• supplying said first and said second voltage-boosted signals to said second driving circuit and, respectively, to said first driving circuit.

A charge pump, comprising:

• a voltage input;
• a boosted voltage output;
• a first pumping branch having a plurality of first pumping stages cascade connected between the voltage input and the boosted voltage output, each of the first pumping stages having first and second inputs and an output and being configured to boost a voltage level from the first input of the first pumping stage to provide a boosted driving signal at the output of the first pumping stage, the boosted driving signal provided by a last one of the first pumping branches being provided to the boosted voltage output;
• and
• a second pumping branch having a plurality of second pumping stages cascade connected in parallel with the first pumping branch between the voltage input and the boosted voltage output, each of the second pumping stages having first and second inputs and an output and being configured to boost a voltage level from the first input of the second pumping stage to provide a boosted driving signal at the output of the second pumping stage, the boosted driving signal provided by a last one of the second pumping branches being provided to the boosted voltage output, wherein each of the second pumping stages provides its boosted driving signal to the second input of a corresponding one of the first pumping stages and each of the first pumping stages provides its boosted driving signal to the second input of a corresponding one of the second pumping stages.